Coraline 2 The Beldam Returns
by Clydell Humphries
Summary: After the Beldam's hand manages to get out of the well, Coraline is sure that there's something going on. But does she have to make that daring journey to the Other World to find out what it is?
1. The Hand Escapes

**Disclaimer:**** Charcargo does not own Coraline or any of it's charcaters, if she did, she would sue the people who made the movie because it is nothing like the book. Also, she would add in a lot more crazy stuff. Such as random mutant zombies, a gorilla or two and a McDonalds store in the Other world. **

**Authors note: I loved the Coraline movie so I decided to read the book. Let me tell you, the book is so much different. Sure, they got the main things right, a girl called Coraline finds a door in her new house that leads her into the Other world with the Other Mother and Other Father, but their were too many differences in the book and movie. In the book, it doesn't say that Coraline has blue hair, and they don't have Wybie. Yeah, I know! I was so sad when I found that out. Ok, back to my authors note (wow, very long authors note), this sequel to Coraline is based on the book, so if you haven't read the book then you might get a little bit confused. The main reason I'm telling you this is because I don't want my inbox filled with comments like "Why isn't Wybie in the story?" or "That doesn't happen!" Ok, thanks for reading! Please review!**

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"Coraline!" Mrs. Jones called, "Time for dinner!"

"Coming!" Coraline said. Lucky Mum went shopping today. She ran down the stairs and into the kitchen. She stopped.

"Oh, yum!" she said happily. Mel Jones had made a delicious meal. That's strange. Mum never cooks, thought Coraline.

"What's the occasion?" she asked her parents.

"Coraline, why don't you sit down for a second?" Mel asked.

"It will take me longer than a second to eat dinner!" Coraline said, but inside she was worried. What had happened? Her mind flicked to the door at the end of the hallway, but she blocked the thought out of her mind.

"Coraline, how have things been at school?" Mel asked.

"Fine," Coraline says, "my grades are good, the teachers are nice, the school is-"

"Coraline, we're talking about friend-wise. It's been a term. You haven't invited anybody here, or been invited to anybodies house. Is everything ok?" her Father asked. Coraline shrugged.

"Everyone at school is... I dunno. They're different to back in Michigan."

"Well, you've changed to, honey." Mel said, "You're more... inderpendent than usual. Not that it's a bad thing!" she said in a rushed voice. Coraline sighed.

"I'm fine. Really. Lets just eat dinner!" Mel and Charlie glanced at eat other, then began eating. They started talking about the weather, and about the news and other boring things. Coraline wasn't listening, until...

"Did you hear about that kid that fell down the well?" Charlie asked. Coraline looked up.

"Yes," Mel said, "They say he came out all battered and bruised, with lots of scratches. Strange though. They said that some of the stratches were close together, like some animal had done it!" Coraline had a sick feeling in her stomach.

"How did they get him out?" she asked.

"They had to put a rope down, then they pulled it up. They said that the boy didn't know what had scratched him, but it scurried up the rope, some sort of spider, maybe." Mel responded. "Are you feeling ok, honey?" she asked. Coraline's stomach was twisting and turning. No... she couldn't have... but in her heart she knew it was true. The Other Mother must have have escaped, with the key as well.

"Mum, may I sleep in the living room tonight?" Coraline asked. Mel looked at her.

"Why on Earth would you want to?" she asked. Coraline searched for a good reason.

"Well, it's the holidays now! And in a way it's kind of exciting sleeping somewhere else, even if it's in your house!" Mel sighed. "Just this once, as long as you don't touch anything precious. Coraline smiled. If she had to stay up all night, she would. She had to stop the hand from getting back into the other world. More importantly, she needed to get the key back.

* * *

Coraline sat in her sleeping bag. She was tired, her head felt all cloudy. She shook it, trying to wake herself up. So far, there had been so sign of the hand. Coraline thought. If the Other Mother, or Beldam, got the key, what would she do with it? She would open the door, and lure Coraline back into the world. But this time she would be cautious. She wouldn't let her get the chance to escape again. Coraline shivered at the thought. She closed her eyes. Then opened them again. Huh? What was that? She heard a metalic *click*, then the swinging of a door. She sat up suddenly and raced to down the hallway. The Beldam's right hand was running down the passageway of the door. Coraline sprinted after it, than realized. No. She would be trapped. She shut the door, then realized the key was still there. She took it and locked the door again. She heard a soft _meow_ behind her. It was the Cat. He stared up at her.

"She's trying to get me back there, isn't she?" Coraline stated more than asked. The Cat just stared. Coraline sighed. "Well, it won't work. I'm staying here. Cat gave her a look that merely said,

"She'll find one way or another to get you over there, sooner of later."

* * *

**There. How did you like that? I'm pretty happy with it, considering I had to find a way for the Beldam's hand to escape the well. I am so sick of all the stories on this website where the Beldam just re-appears. I mean, she has to escape the well some how! I hope you liked this. I will have more chapters up soon. Please review if you like it so far. Also, check out my other Coraline story.**


	2. Cat?

Coraline paced up and down in her room. She didn't really know what to think about. So she began from the very start.

Fact 1. The Other Mother/Beldam was back in her own world.

Fact 2. She left the key behind, maybe so Coraline would follow her?

Fact 3. There were no other facts.

Coraline sighed. Great. It had only been three months since the Beldam's hand had fallen down the well and already she was back. She sighed again. Perfect.

She heard a tapping on the window and she turned her head. It was cat, so she opened it up.

"Hello." she said, patted him on the head gently, "Is everything ok?" Cat gave her a look that clearly said '_Of course not! Nothing is ok!' _

"Well what should I do?" Coraline asked him. Cat just stared at her. "I wish you could talk in this world. It would make things so much easier." Coraline said. Cat just stared. "_What do you want?_**"** Coraline almost shouted. Cat sighed, or that's what's Coraline thought he did, and battered his paw at the key around Coraline's neck. She touched it self conciously.

"What do you mean? I'm not going back there!" she said, afraid. Cat lifted his paw up to point at the key, then to himself.

"You want me to give you the key?" Coraline said. Cat nodded. Coraline sighed, then took the key off her neck. She handed it to him.

"There. Happy?" she asked. Cat nodded, he had the key in his mouth. She then heard a tap on her window. She looks up to see the terrified face of... _Cat?_ The cat with the key in his mouth jumped off the bed. Suddenly, it is no longer Cat. It is the Beldam, grinning at her.

"Why, Coraline, darling! Thankyou for your gift! I didn't expect it to be so... easy. Her button eyes stared at Coraline. Suddenly the world went black.

* * *

Coraline awoke with a start. A bead on sweat was on her forhead. She closed her eyes._ It was just a dream._ She touched the key around her neck. Phew. She heard a meow by the window. It was cat. He had a piece of paper in his mouth. Coraline took it from him.

_Dear Coraline,_

_Well done. You have the key. Do what you want with it. Go on, throw it in the well again. I don't care. It doesn't matter to me. My plan is already underway, whether you're here with me, whether I have the key, who cares! The point is that my hand back, and that's all I need._

_Trust me, expect me to drop by soon. I have a surprise for you._

_From Your Other Mother._

"Where did you get this?" Coraline asked. Cat ran up to the door in the hallway. He tapped the door.

"You don't want me to go in there, do you?" asked Coraline. Cat just stared. Coraline sighed.

"Do you think it's true? That she doesn't need the key? That she can still lure children into her world?" Cat nodded. Coraline took the key from her neck.

"I could... go into the Other World, quickly see what's going on. Or I could put it somewhere. Somewhere she can't get it, no matter what." Cat looked at her, then the key, then the door.

"I suppose if I'm quick, I could do it." muttered Coraline. She took the key in her hand, and put it in the lock. She looked at Cat.

"Should I?" she asked. Cut just stared.

"You're a big help." Coraline said, annoyed. She took a deep breath and turned the key. She heard the metallic *click*, and the door swung open.

* * *

**Ohh! What's going to happen! Idk. I'm writing as I go along. But I have a bit of an idea... please, if you like this then review! Reviews are our friends! Thanks for reading.**


	3. Other World

Coraline stared. No way. There was no black passageway the seemed to go on forever. There was just... bricks. She groaned.

"Now what?" she asked Cat. He battered cautiously at the bricks with his paw, then he leaned against it. Suddenly, a hand with red fingernails extended quickly from the bricks and grabbed hold of cat. Cat screeched as he was pulled through the bricks.

"CAT!" Coraline yelled. She put her hand through the bricks to try and grab hold of him, but he wasn't there. Suddenly, she was being pulled through the bricks. Sharp fingernails were digging into her arm. She gasped and tried to pull back. But she was being pulled thought the door. And there was nothing she could do about it.

* * *

Coraline found herself in the dark passage way. She pushed against the door, but it wouldn't budge.

"Oh no!" she said in aghast.

"Hmmm..." said a blank voice beside her, "it seems the the Witch has set a barrier up. We're trapped."

"Cat, what are we going to do?" Coraline asked.

"Believe it or not," Cat said, "We're already in her world. If she wanted to she could make a thousand rats come and eat us alive. But I think she has something in store for us."

"Yes. But you didn't answer my question." Coraline said.

"There two options. Option number one, we stay here for all eternity. Option two, we go through the other door and meet the fate that awaits us." Cat answered.

"Great. So basically no matter what we're dead." Coraline said.

"No, not really." Cat said, "When you say _we_, I have my ways of getting out of this mess. If we were to go through the door on the other side. But _you_, yes, I suppose _you_ are dead no matter what."

"Perfect. Thank you, Cat, for making me feel so much more relaxed about the whole thing!"

"My pleasure. Lets keep on going, shall we?" Cat said. Slowly they began to walk through the passage, meeting whatever fate awaited them.

They finally reached the end of the passage. Coraline felt the door at the end of the passage way. She sighed and opened it. Cat quickly darted out. She stepped out slowly, trying not to make any noise. Cat was already at the end of the hallway, by a window.

"I'll meet you later. There is something I need to check, first!" he whispered. Coraline nodded. She walked through the whole house, looking at each room for the Beldam. But there was no sign of her. She continued all though the house. She even checked outside. But there was still no sign. She sighed and turned around, meeting the eyes of the Other Mother. Coraline stared. How long had she been following me for? she asked herself. The Beldam smiled.

"Hello, Coraline. I have missed you _so_ much! We have a lot to catch up on, don't we!" The Beldam said in her fake motherly way.

* * *

Coraline was in the kitchen. The Beldam was pacing up and down. "Firstly," The she announced, "You ran away from home. Even after you promised you'd stay her for ever and always if you lost, which you did. Secondly, you disobeyed me on numerous occasions. Thirdly-"

"I don't care!" Coraline burst out, "You're not my Mother! Or my Other Mother! Everything in this world is just a creation of yours to try and make me stay! My real Mother is back at home, probably wondering where I am!"

"How dare you interrupt me!" The Beldam said, "I am your Mother."

"You. Aren't. My. Mother." Coraline said thought gritted teeth. The Beldam glared at her. She then walked up to her.

"I'm giving you one more chance, Coraline. Let me sew the buttons, quickly and painlessly. Or I will do it slowly and painfully. You're choice." she said softly. She stared at Coraline, her black button eyes gleaming.

"Do you really think I will let you?" Coraline said, bravely.

"I can do it while your sleeping. You will never be safe. Because I will get you, Coraline Jones. Then you will stay her forever and always. Whether you like it or not!"

* * *

Coraline was in her room. It was no longer pink with toys and clothes for any occasion. It was a grey, dusty and cold place. The only good part of the room was the bed. It was comfy.

"She can't fool me." Coraline said. "I'm not going to go to sleep." But as the night got later and later, her eyelids began to droop. She heard somebody enter her room. Probably Cat, she thought. She opened her eyes and saw a button coming toward her. She shrieked and jumped up. The Beldam cursed.

"You are not sewing buttons onto my eyes!" Coraline yelled. The Beldams lips were in a hard straight line. She left the room. As soon as she was gone, Cat entered, tail held high.

"I see you're getting quite tired." he said. Coraline just nodded, tears began to roll down her cheeks.

"I'm so tired, I just can't keep it up much longer!" she said weakly

"If you want, I will stay here with you. If I hear her coming I will wake you up." Cat offered.

"Oh, yes Cat! That would be wonderful!" Coraline said gratefully. She drifted off into a dreamless sleep. Twice in the night she was woken up by Cat, and soon after the Beldam would come in with two buttons and a needle, but Coraline would just stare at her and say,

"Nice try."

She woke up in the morning and was grateful to feel eyelids there instead of buttons.

"Thank you, Cat." she whispered gratefully.


	4. Explanations

Coraline walked into the kitchen. The Beldam was in the making breakfast. Or dinner. It was always dark in this world so Coraline wasn't sure which of the two was correct. She sat down. The Beldam turned around.

"Coraline!" she said in her voice, all sugar coated with fake sweetness, "You're just in time for breakfast!" Huh. So it was breakfast. Coraline stared at the food that The Beldam had put in front of her.

"Umm... what is this?" she asked her. The Beldam smiled her fake smile. The more Coraline looked at it, the more she was sure it wasn't a smile, but a smirk.

"That," The Beldam said, "is you're breakfast." Coraline stared at it. From first glance, it looked like some sort of spinach, but when she put her spoon in it, it was like a thick, custard type... slime. Coraline looked at The Beldam.

"I'm not eating that." she said. The Beldam's buttons looked at her gleefully. "It's all you're getting. You have been a very bad girl, Coraline. You will learn to be a loving daughter, or suffer the consequences."

"You have no right to boss me about!" Coraline said, angrily, "You are not my Mother, or anything of the sort! I will not obey you!" As soon as the words escaped Coraline's lips, she regretted it. The Beldam stared at her, then, she stood up. A little bit taller, and scarier, Coraline thought. She walked over to Coraline and grabbed her by the shoulders. She pulled her up and put her face close to Coraline's.

"Listen, you _brat._" The Beldam snapped. "I don't have to do this. If I wanted to, I could kill you now!"

"Then why don't you?" Coraline asked her, pushing the limits. The Beldam glared at her.

"I'm not done with you, yet!" she put Coraline down in her chair. Suddenly, ropes bound her to her chair. Coraline gasped. She struggled, but try as she might it was useless. The Beldam looked at her gleefully. "Now, wait there, _darling._" she said in the sugar coated voice, "I'll get the buttons for you."

"Wasn't I a "little brat" a second ago?" Coraline asked her. The Beldam ignored her and left the room. Coraline looked around the room. There was nothing even remotely sharp in the room. Yep, the Beldam was extra careful this time. She groaned. Then she heard the soft sound of foot steps, no, paw-steps. She looked around to see the cat staring up at her.

"Help me!" she mouthed. Cat stared at her for a second, then he jumped up and began scratching at the rope. For half a minute the rope was slowly being torn away, then, finally the last strand was cut. Coraline jumped up.

"Where can we go?" she asked frantically, listening for sounds of the Beldam.

"Follow me!" Cat whispered urgently. He darted out of the room. Coraline followed, trying to be as quick and silent as possible. They were both outside the house. Cat was running to the forest. Coraline tried to keep up, but her legs felt heavy. She suddenly felt so tired. She kept on running, but her steps were getting slower and slower. She saw cat look at her in fright. The hairs on her neck were standing up, she had the sneaking feeling that she was being watched. She turned around and looked at the Pink Palace. Watching through the window was the Beldam, her lips pressed in a hard line and her button eyes gleaming with anger. That's all Coraline remembered.

* * *

She woke up and found herself in blankness. She knew where she was, this was were she had tried to flee last time she was in this world. This was the part were there was nothing, everything was blank. Well, not quite blank. Cat was staring up at her, not with the look he usually had on (the 'you've done something wrong' look) but a look of genuine concern.

"Cat?" Coraline asked. "Why am I here? How did I get here?" Cat sighed with relief.

"We are here because this is the only place she can't see us. As for your second question, she put a sleeping spell on you when she realized you had escaped. Luckily you aren't too heavy. I managed to drag you here." Coraline looked down at her clothes. They were covered in dirt and mud, with the odd leaf stuck to it. They were also torn quite a bit.

"Thank you," Coraline said, "it seems that's the second time you've saved my life."

"I'm just glad she didn't have enough power to put a spell on me, too. Or put a worse one on you." Cat said, "Otherwise you'd have buttons for eyes right now." Coraline shuddered at the thought of _worse_ and _buttons._

"I have a few questions. Could you answer them?" she asked the Cat.

"But of course."

"You said this is the only place the can't see us?"

"Yes. You see, she can only see things in places that she has created. She has created nothing here. Not for the time being, anyway. But the point is she is blind to this spot because there is nothing to see. Unless she was to actually come her in person, she will not see us."

"Ahh... so you're saying she can see us if we're somewhere she has created?" Coraline asked.

"Yes and no. You see, when we're somewhere she has made, she can see us and has a rough idea on what we're doing. But it is like the weather. It may look like it's going to rain, but Mother Nature may surprise us with the sun."

"Ok. Another question. You said she didn't have enough power..." Coraline said.

"Yes. You see, every other living thing eats and rests to gain energy. The daily jobs in life make us lose energy. So we eat and sleep to gain energy and the cycle continues. But she's different. She can only gain energy by taking it from another. In her case it is a child she chooses to steal from. Maybe because they are easier tricked than adults, or that they have more energy. Once she has taken energy from a child she can last 50 or so years before she needs more energy. There was about 50 years between you and her last victim." The cat paused for a moment, then continued, "She created everything you loved to lure you in. But that energy was wasted when you escaped. So now she is low on it... dangerously low. She only has a certain amount of energy she can use a day. If she had more power yesterday she would have put you to sleep and sewed the buttons. But she used a lot of power by taking us into this world and setting up the barriers, so she couldn't use anymore. Now, she needs you to survive. She is hungrier then ever, and she will stop at nothing to get you." Coraline shivered.

"One more question, have we fallen into her trap? Can she really take children without them needing the key?"

"That," The Cat said, "I don't know. We should have waited before opening the door. But I have a feeling something is going on. And now that we're here we might as well find out what it is.

* * *

**There. I will update soon.**


	5. Martin

**Hey! Here's the next chapter!**

* * *

Coraline shivered, even though she wasn't particually cold. Knowing all this information... it was too much. She sat down and wept.

"Oh, Cat!" she sobbed, "I don't think I can do this!"

"If you go back to the house now," Cat said, "She won't hurt you. She will be angry, but she will stay out of your way. I have a feeling that there is something we are missing here. Something big."

"Ok. I'll go now." Coraline said. She stood up and began walking. She knew that she would end up back at the house, whatever way she walked. She suddenly stopped and looked back at Cat. "Aren't you going to come?" she asked him.

"No. She won't hurt you but she will hurt me. I'm sure of it. If you must find me for whatever reason, walk out here. She won't follow you, but she may try to stop you." Cat said. Coraline nodded and continued walking. Soon she found that colour was beginning to form around her, and soon the shape of the Pink Palace was visable. She walked onto the porch, then stopped. She heard The Beldam inside. She tried to listen to what she was saying, but her voice was muffled. Cautiously, Coraline opened the door. The Beldam was talking to... herself? No, there was a little boy there. He had scratches over his face and black button eyes. Coraline stared.

"I must thank you again, Martin," The Beldam said, "You have restored me to power and that is why I am in debt to you. You have been so helpful!" The Beldam left the room. Martin had no emotion on his face. It was just blank. Coraline stared at him. He was very pale and very silent. But, he managed to say two words.

"Help me." he said in a whisper. Coraline looked at him.

"I'll try." she said quietly, "But not right now." The Beldams footsteps were heard and Coraline ran out of the room. She ran back out to the woods.

* * *

"So. She wasn't lying." Cat said. Coraline looked at him.

"What do you mean?" she asked him. Then everything clicked. "Oh! You mean to say that... Martin was the child that fell down the well?"

"It would seem that way, yes. The Beldam's hand must have catured the boy. Then, when he got out of the well, she summoned him here. He must have entered this world when we were out here. Then she sewed the buttons."

"This is terrible! Poor Martin!" Coraline said in agahst.

"Don't you see the truely bad side of this?" Cat said, "She now has the power she needs! She can make anything happen!"

"Like... that?" asked Coraline. In the distance she saw a blot of colour. It wasn't so much a figure, it was more like waves at the beach. Seemed like it can go on forever.

"No!" Cat yelled as the wave of colour washed over them. Coraline blinked. It wasn't wet, as she had expected it to be, but warm and comforting. She blinked again. She was in... some sort of field. It was dark, like it always was in this world.

"She can see us now." Cat said in annoyance. "There's nowhere we can hide." Coraline looked around. It seemed Cat was right. There was no more white around them. In the distance a figure was coming toward them. The Beldam. Coraline didn't bother running. She knew that The Beldam had enough power twist the world around her. She could make Coraline fall off a cliff if she wanted. The Beldam stood in front of them, grinning showing all of her teeth.

"Now, Coraline. You will stay here for ever and always. If you come quietly then I'll sew the buttons quickly and afterward I'll let you play with the mouse circus before bedtime. But if you complain, things will be a lot more painful for you. Choose." Coraline hesitated. She looked at the Cat who was looking up at her.

"May I just... have a few more minutes out here. Please?" Coraline asked. The Beldam smiled.

"Of course. But rememeber, I can see you. There's no hiding from me." With that The Beldam left. Coraline looked at Cat. She sighed and sat down.

"She can't hear us can she?" Coraline asked him.

"No." He said simply. Coraline looked at him. "Cat, I'm going to let her sew the buttons." Cat stared up at her, but she continued, "It will give you some time to escape. In order for Martin to make it through the door she would have put down the barriers. You can get out of here. If I have to, I'll buy you more time by... by not being too co-oprative with her. Can you promise me one thing, though?" Coraline asked. Cat nodded sadly. "Drop this letter off to my parents." Coraline said. She rummaged through her pockets and found a piece of crumbled paper and a pen. On the paper she wrote:

_Dear Mum and Dad._

_I haven't run away. I swear on my soul. But I have gone missing. Kidnapped, you might say. The point is, don't bother searching for me. You won't find me anywhere in this world. I'm so sorry. I love you both._

_Love Coraline._

She gave the note to Cat, who looked at it, then took it in his mouth.

"Thank you, Cat." Coraline said. "Please, when you get back home, do something to block the door. If the key is still there, which I doubt it is, then take it and put it somewhere you know nobody will ever find it. Not the well. Anywhere other then there. But if she has the key, then keep and eye on the door. When another child moves into the Pink Palace and gets the key, you must take it away from them. Please Cat."

"Of course." Cat said. He looked at her sadly and then ran off.

"Coraline!"`The Beldams voice said, "It's time for dinner!" Coraline took a deep breath and headed for the Pink Palace.

* * *

**Ohh! She has all her power back! Will they escape?**

**Ha! I was so happy when I figured out the boy who fell down the well (Martin) could contribute to the story. Don't you love crazy coindences? At first he was just gonna be a character that you thought "Good going buddy, because of you The Beldam got out of the well" but then I thought about the Beldam's note to Coraline and thought he could be part of her scheme. Anywho, I've gotten over the writers block and now I finally know where I'm going. I have a really good idea on what is going to happen, so stay tuned! And please... if you review I'll be your friend. If you don't The Beldam will eat you. You're choice.**


	6. Buttons are sewn

**Here is the next chapter. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

The steps that Coraline took to get to the Pink Palace seemed to drag on forever. She breathed in the fresh scent of air around her and looked up at the sky. There was no stars in this world, which seemed odd to Coraline. She closed her eyes and imagined she was back home. She was on her fathers lap while he was telling her stories. Her mother, _real_ mother mind you, came in with hot chocolate. They all laughed together, as one happy family.

Coraline opened here eyes and was suprised to find that her memories continued, right in front of her. Her father handing her a gift on her birthday, her mother teaching her to cook, moving away from Michiagan... 11 years of her life was being shown right in front of her. Suddenly, a gust of wind came and blew all the memories away. Like dust they all disappeared, but they still glowed as they floated through the night.

Coraline turned around and saw The Beldam. She smiled her fake, sugary smile and Coraline knew that the memories were The Beldam's way of making her angry. To remind her of what she was being taken away from. So she could have an excuse to hurt her. But she wasn't going to let her have the satisfaction.

"Coraline, come inside." she ordered gleefully, "It is time to sew the buttons on. Then you can stay here for every and always."

"Ok." Coraline said simply. To the suprise of The Beldam, she walked willingly into the house. Coraline sat down on the chair and waited for The Beldam to walk in. She did, eventually, with a strange look on her face.

"This isn't how it is supposed to be..." Coraline heard her mutter to herself.

"What is it supposed to be like, then?" Coraline asked her. The Beldam turned around.

"You are too calm. Much too calm. In my visions you are squirming uncomfortably, begging for me to let you go. Yet here you are, sitting in front of me, waiting for this to happen. Not trying to stop me at all."

"I can't stop you. No matter what happens, you'll get the buttons on eventually. If I struggle you will have an excuse to hurt me. If I struggle, you get the satasfaction you want." Coraline explained.

"So... you're not afraid of me?" asked The Beldam. To Coraline it sounded like more of a threat than a question. She looked up at The Beldam's black button eyes and realized that she wasn't scared.

"No. I'm not afraid of you." she said confidently. The Beldam stared at Coraline for a minute, then walked out of the room. She came back with Martin. The poor boy looked even worse than before. He was even more pale and lifeless, and his lips were quivering in fright.

"You're not afraid in becoming like _this_?" The Beldam asked her, shaking the boy. Coraline sighed.

"You're not scaring me. I know it's going to happen and you talking about it in an effort to please yourself won't stop it from happening." The Beldam looked in shock, then she gave Coraline a look of anger.

"Fine then. Act like you don't care. It won't stop me from sewing the buttons." She hissed. She left the room and almost instantly returned with two buttons, a needle and thread. Coraline put her hands on her eyelids for what she thought was the last time. She shut her eyes and waited.

She knew it was happening, she could feel the needle piercing her skin. But the strange thing was that she didn't feel any pain. It was like the Other Father had said the last time she was here... 'So sharp you won't feel a thing.'

"Coraline. It's all over." The Beldams sickly sweet voice said. She opened her new button eyes. She saw Martin shiver in terror and The Beldam smile with glee.

* * *

Coraline sat on her bed. She had been looking in the mirror for the past hour or so, just to meet the same black buttoned gaze. She felt different. Not sad, but strange. Already she was becoming more pale and she felt colder than usual.

But she tried to stay happy. Cat would have escaped by now... the door might even be locked. She, Coraline Jones, had just saved many childrens lives. So she was happy, buttons of no buttons. Just as she was thinking about Mel and Charlie Jones, her parents, she heard a _meow_ behind her.

She turned her head to see cat by the door. She looked at him in shock, he shook his head sadly

"She spotted me and rememebered to put the barrier up." he said, "I'm sorry, Coraline." Coraline stared at him and the realization was drawn upon her.

No... Cat was still here and she had button eyes. Kids lives were still at risk and it was all her fault.

"No." Coraline whispered. She put her head in her hands. Cat ignored her.

"You seem to be doing well." he said. Coraline looked at him in shock and annoyance.

"Well? I'm paler already!" Coraline complained.

"No, that is a figment of your own imagination." he admitted slightly, "You see, you are expecting this. You knew before she sewed the buttons that she was going to change you. But you also thought that I had escaped with a note to your parents, so it made you happy. She realized this." Cat explained.

"Go on." Coraline said, thinking about what Cat was saying. Was there still hope?

"She was worried about this, as you probably already noticed. So she tried to make you afraid, or at least nervous, like most the children were before the buttons were sewn on. But it didn't work, you stayed strong. And now afterwards you have stayed happy. At this very moment she is trying to get into your head and heart to take your soul. But the only thing The Beldam can't get past is happiness, true happiness." Cat paused there.

"So you're saying, as long as I keep happy and positive, she can't take my soul?" Coraline said hopefully.

"Yes. For the other children, after the buttons were sewn, looking at the buttons made them sad, because they missed their old selves, sometimes regretting their descision. So she could easily take their souls. But you have managed to stay happy, so she is annoyed. You must keep on being happy. If you are sad or negative for moments then you could fall into her trap." Cat said.

"Well, you need to make me happy!" Coraline said smiling, "You need to tell me jokes and funny stories. Make me laugh!" Cat smiled.

"Ok. When I was a little kitten..." he began. All through the night Coraline laughed and smiled at Cat's stories and jokes. When she fell asleep, she was pefectly happy, despite everything that had happened that day.

* * *

**There! I hope that wasn't too bad... it was a little tricky thinking of a way for Coraline to last having buttons on her eyes. Because I know for a fact this is, like, the only story where she gets button eyes. So I wanted to make it interesting. I hope it is. Thankyou for the reviews so far, I appriciate it!**


	7. Think Happy Thoughts

Coraline woke up earlier than usual. She was still in high spirits from last night. She rememebered a particually funny story of Cat's and chuckled.

"Ahh... you're awake early!" Cat said. He seemed happier than usual as well. He looked at her in curiosity. "You look good. Your cheeks are red, not pale and you aren't cold at all!"

"I don't feel any different. Well, I do. I feel happier then usual." Coraline said cheerfully.

"Well, it seems my theory was correct! She can't change you if you are happy. She can't get past happiness! She was up all night trying to take your soul." Cat said. Coraline looked at him.

"You mean it was only a theory?" she said, shocked.

"Well, yes." Cat said simply. Coraline stared at him, not knowing what emotion was running through her. Then she smiled.

"It was a good theory." she told him.

"It would seem so." Cat said. "But there is even more good news. She has wasted over half of her power trying to capture your soul. She is getting weaker. If she manages to get your soul eventually she will restore that power. But if she doesn't... then she will lose it all. Coraline, she will try her hardest now to make you unhappy. Even if it means playing dirty."

Coraline ran down stairs. She was greeted with The Beldam's icey glare, along with the smell of breakfast.

"Morning!" Coraline said cheerfully. The Beldam merely nodded, her lips pressed in the familier straight line. Coraline sat down in her chair, waiting for breakfast. The Beldam was slower then usual, she looked more tired to Coraline. _Cat was right!_ she thought, _She really is getting weaker! _After what seemed like ages, The Beldam handed her breakfast. It definately looked better than slime, but Coraline was sure she, herself, could have made something better in less time. She looked at The Beldam.

"I haven't poisened it." she said. Coraline sighed and took a bite. It was ok tasting. Coraline ate it all. The Beldam looked at her.

"Now, Coraline, will you do me a favour and fetch me a few flowers from outside?" The Beldam asked her, "They will do nicely to freshen up the place, don't you think?" Coraline did as she was told, looking carefully behind her as she walked. But The Beldam didn't follow her. She quickly picked the flowers and headed back to the house. Just as she was about to walk through the door she heard a shriek. Well, not really a shreik, more like a yowl. The realization hit Coraline like a train. The Beldam had Cat. The door in front of her slammed shut and locked itself. Coraline pounded on it with her fists as hard as she could, but it didn't budge.

"Give him back you evil WITCH!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. Anger rushed through her. "OPEN UP YOU COWARD!" she screamed. It was at this point that Coraline forgot all about being happy or positive, and it was at this point that she heard a voice clearly, but it was in her head.

_"I have you now, Coraline Jones!"_ it hissed in the voice of them Beldam. Coraline felt something, or someone in her head. She then felt pain.

"Ahhh!" Coraline yelled. She collapsed in agorny, begging for it to stop.

_"There's no escaping now!" _The Beldam's voice said, gleefully. It then began laughing hysterically. The laughter reminded Coraline of something.

_"She can't get past happiness!"_ Cat had said. Coraline began attempting to think happy thoughts. But the pain in here head was getting worse and worse. Christmas, Birthdays, Michigan... all these thoughts were going through Coraline's head. But it wasn't working. She needed a happy thought, the happiest one she could think of. She searching her memory for something. Then a thought hit her. Why did it have to be a memory? Why not a dream, ambition or hope? Coraline imagined The Beldam being defeated. She imagined Cat jumping at her and tearing her to pieces. She imagined all the children she had saved, cheering her name. As she imagined this she soon forgot about the pain and when she finally rememebered about it, it was barely noticable.

_"NOOOO!"_ The Beldam's voice screamed in Coraline's head. Then the pain and the voices ended. Coraline stood up, her legs shaking. Then she rememebered. Cat.

The door to the house was unlocked when Coraline opened it. She ran up to her room, where the shrieks were coming from earlier. She opened the door slowly, trying to rememeber happy thoughts. What she saw shocked her. Cat's limp body lay on her bed. Coraline looked around. There was no sign of The Beldam. She ran over to her bed and picked Cat up carefully.

"Oh, Cat." she said sadly. He half opened his eyes.

"Think... happy thoughts, Coraline. You are nearly done. She is so close... to losing all her power. Be careful, she wants you... to be angry." He shut his eyes again. He was breathing, but very lightly. Coraline just wanted it to end. Cat was in obvious pain. She placed him down gently. Happy thoughts, she reminded herself. She thought about all the stories Cat had told her about his kittenhood. She rememebered the night they had joked and laughed until her heart had felt fuller than ever. She smiled, despite the sadness that tried to get into her. Suddenly, Cat stopped breathing. Coraline looked at him. She tried to stay happy, it's what Cat would have wanted, she told herself. But smiling seemed so wrong to do at a time like this. So she pushed every thought out of her mind. Exept one. And that was beating The Beldam.

* * *

**This chapter was sad to write, because Cat died, and my poor guinea pig Baily died today. I was so sad, she was absoloutly gorgeous. So I kind of tried to put my feeling into this story, but it was hard because Coraline had to try and stay happy. I didn't. **

**Thanks for all the reviews so far, they made my day.**


	8. The Master

Coraline stayed up most of the night. Well, the time that would have been night in her world. Here she had no idea. She was replaying the days events over and over in her mind. When she felt the stabbing pain in her head she thought happy thoughts. It took longer than the first time to get The Beldam away, but she would leave eventually. Coraline sat up all night, thinking happy-ish thoughts, but it was hard. Too hard.

"What's the point in being happy if I will never escape?" she often thought in the night. But she kept on trying, even if it hurt her.

The Beldam entered Coraline's room halfway through the night. Coraline looked at her, not really knowing what to think.

The Beldams face was a sickly sort of colour. She was moving around at a slower pace than usual and her hair hung in a mattered mess on her head. Instead of the usual angered look that was on her face, it was a self pitying sort of look. She looked at Coraline with pleading eyes (or buttons).

"Darling, please stop struggling." she said in a tired voice, "Your dear Mother is having a very hard time at the moment. If you would help me along I would appreciate it."

"No." Coraline said simply, "I will never help you."

"Come on now dear! You love your Mother, don't you?" The Beldam said in an almost begging type of voice. "Please do as she says."

"Yes, you're right. I do love my Mother." Coraline admitted, "My _real_ Mother. I would do anything for her. But you, are not my Mother. So let's all stop pretending." The Beldam gave her a sharp glance.

"Fine. If you want to stop pretending, then you can do that. If I am not your Mother, you are not my daughter. So get out of my house."

Suddenly, Coraline found herself outside the Pink Palace. She blinked a few times. She was in a field, identical to the one she had at home. But it was different. The grass was dead, leaving a baron type area around her. Coraline shivered. It was cold and windy, The Beldam must have planned it like this.

Coraline headed for some nearby trees. She sat underneath one in hope for some shelter from the wind. Suddenly, the trees disappeared. Coraline hugged her knees in a desperate attempt to keep warm. Yep, The Beldam cartainly wasn't giving up without a fight.

_Keep happy! _Cat's voice said in her head. Coraline thought happy thoughts. She thought about her parents, her friends from Michiagan and beating The Beldam. She closed her eyes, a warm feeling spreading through her.

She opened them to find herself in a strange world. The sun was shining and she was in a green field. Three other people were there. Coraline gasped, it was the ghosts!

"Coraline!" The sweet ghost girl said, "We've missed you so!"

"Yes, Miss!" the little boy said. "But I see thou has the buttons as thou eyes? Yet thee don't look any different!"

"Not at all!" said the tall ghost girl, "It seemed happiness really was the key!"

"It seems so." Coraline said, "But why have you called me here? I know it is just a dream but..."

"Oh, Miss!" The sweet ghost girl said, "We're afraid you have over looked something!"

"What? What have I over looked?" questioned Coraline in panic.

"Do you not rememeber what The Beldam did last time?" asked the tall ghost girl. "Search your memories..." At once everything faded away.

Coraline awoke with fright. She looked around her. It was still dark, not suprisingly. She let out a sigh. What did The Beldam do last time? Then it hit her.

She groaned, The Beldam was going to get her parents, or somebody close to her. Whoever next got just a bit too close to the door.

The Beldam needed to be stopped. Now.

Coraline headed toward the looming shadow that she presumed to be the Pink Palace. Once she arrived, she opened the door. She looked around. The house looked so... baron. Coraline walked into the kitchen.

"Beldam. I have a proposal for you. Come out, wherever you may be." called Coraline. She felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around and met the eyes, or buttons, of The Beldam. "What do you want?" she hissed.

"I am here to make a proposal, like I said." Coraline replied. The Beldam looked at her for a second, then sighed.

"What is this proposal you speak of?" she asked. Coraline smiled. She knew The Beldam wouldn't refuse. "We both know that this can't go on forever."

"I don't see why not!" The Beldam said.

"I know you are getting weaker," Coraline said, "I also know that you play dirty." The Beldam hissed at this comment, but gave no reply. "My proposal is that we play a game. But neither of us will choose what game, what rules, or the winner. That will be decided by somebody else."

"Who will this "somebody else" be, then?" asked The Beldam curiously.

"This somebody has to be able to get into this world. They also can't know either one of us, so they can't play favourites." Coraline said, thinking hard.

"Wait. Before you organise anything," The Beldam said, "what is the prize for winning this challenge?"

"If you win, you can take me. I will let you kill me, eat me, whatever your twisted mind wants to do with me. However, if I win, you must give me my eyes back and let me go."

"Tempting." said The Beldam, "But we still need a judge."

"I think I may be of service." a new voice replied.

Coraline looked up and sew a ghost. But was wasn't like the ghost children or Martin. He looked like The Beldam on one of her good days. He was also glowing a bit and had button eyes. The Beldam gasped. "M-m-master!" she stuttered, "I would be honoured for you to judge us!" she lowered her head and gave Coraline a sharp glance."Bow!" she hissed. Coraline did as she was told. The Master looked at her like she was a speimen in a cage.

"So you are the girl who tried to get rid of The Beldam? Interesting... this is definately a first!" His voice boomed around them, but it was in a friendy way.

"Who are you?" Coraline asked him.

"I am the master of all The Beldam's kind. So you will treat me with respect and honour." he replied. "The game shall commence tommorow. From this point on, Beldam, you may not try to enter Coraline's mind. Coraline, you will stay in the room allocated to you. Neither of you will know the rules to this game. But, a lot is at stake. Whoever loses will die." The Beldam stiffened at these words. It was obvious that she was scared of The Master. She eventually replied.

"I accept the rules of this game."

"And you, Coraline?" The Master said. Coraline thought for a few moments.

"I accept," she said carefully, "but may I change one, tiny detail? If I win, not only does she die, she lets me go and gives me back my eyes. If she wins, she gets to kill me however she wants."

"Do you accept these changes of rules?" The Master asked The Beldam.

"Yes, Master." The Beldam replied. The Master smiled.

"As of now, the game has began. Your first task will start in the morning." he declared. Coraline was then teleported to her bedroom, with a lot to think about.

* * *

**There you are. Next chapter is on it's way. This chapter was hard because I had to figure out who could judge this contest between The Beldam and Coraline. I didn't want them to do what they did in the actually Coraline book I wanted something different. I thought of letting Martin judge, but he's just a lifeless, ghost-like creature right now, so I don't think he could really do it. I thought of Cat but then rememebered that he is dead and that he would let Coraline win. I also don't think that The Beldam would allow that. I thought the same with the ghost children. Then I thought, "Why not bring a completlely new character into this?" So I bought in the Master. You don't know much about him right now, but you soon will! **


	9. The First Challenge

Coraline awoke in the morning, feeling strange. She wondered what it was, then she realized that the world around her was lighter than usual. She ran up to the window and opened the curtains.

"Woah..." Coraline said, amazed. The sun was shining for the first time in The Beldam's world. It wasn't like normal sun, though, it seemed to give a lovely, golden glow. It was a spectacular sight.

The nerves of today's competitions seemed to sink in, and Coraline trembled. She just _had_ to win, no matter what. She looked around her for anything that may come in handy when she was in the game.

Toys, no... books? Maybe. Coraline picked up a few of them and flicked through a couple of pages. Nope, they were only children's books. She sighed and threw them on the ground. Wait, wait was that? She could have sworn she saw a sparkling gem of some sort by one of the walls.

She examined it, and she was suprised to find a hole in the wall, no bigger than a mouse hole. She put her hand in cautiously and felt an item about the size of a rock in her hand. She pulled it out.

It was a dark sort of gem, but in the middle it had a clear part that looked like a diamond. The young girl could sense a lot of power coming from the stone. She decided that it might come in handy useful and put she placed it carefully in her pocket. Just then, the bedroom door opened and in glided The Master.

"Good morning, Coraline!" he greeted. Coraline took this chance to look at him. He wore clothes that were made for royal people of the old days and he looked kinder than The Beldam. "Is something bothering you, child?" he asked. In truth, there was.

"How do I know that you'll truthfully choose a winner?" Coraline asked him, "I mean, The Beldam is one of your kind, after all. You could easily say that she wins!"

"Ahh," he said, "but that's why we draw up a contract. You must sign that you swear to give up your life to The Beldam if she wins, if you don't then you will be bounded to her forever and always. Any energy that you get will go straight to her. So you'd be better off choosing the first option. If you win and she doesn't co-operate then she will automatically die. You will get your eyes back and you will return to your world." She nodded, a little annoyed that he had avoided her question.

"Yes," Coraline said, "but how do I know you won't play favourites?"

"Oh! I got a bit off track there, didn't I!" The Master said, chuckling, "I too, will sign the contract. If I say somebody wins when they really should have lost, I will perish. So I will tell the truth at all times."

"Oh." Coraline said. She looked at him.

"How come you're so kind?" she asked him, "I mean, shouldn't you be more like The Beldam?" The Master chuckled.

"There are many different types of my kind. Not all of them harvest their energy from children, she just happens to be one of the... nasty ones. I myself get my power from stealing the sun. That's why in your world, you have nights."

"I see..." Coraline said, "Is that why it's sunny today?" The Master nodded.

"Yes. Believe it or not, but most of our kind are actually nice. But there are a few, like The Beldam, who chose a different way to get their energy." Coraline nodded understanding all that. "It's time to begin. Follow me." The Master ordered.

* * *

Coraline stood on one side of the field, The Beldam stood on the other. Their was a soft breeze blowing and it made her hair fly about.

The Master had more power than The Beldam, so he had changed the world completely. The Beldam knew just as much about this new world as Coraline did, which wasn't much. It was fairer this way. The Beldam also couldn't see Coraline unless Coraline was actually in front of her, because they were now in the world of The Master, not The Beldam. She was as powerless here as she would have been in Coraline's world.

"The first round," boomed The Master, "will be a test of the mind. You will each be given a riddle, the same riddle as your opponent. You will need to find an object. Whom ever finds the hidden object first wins this round. If you think you have found the object but you are wrong, the other player will win immediately." Coraline nodded. So did The Beldam. The Master walked over to Coraline. "Your riddle is," he began,

_I may be small,_

_I may be weak,_

_But that's not all,_

_I can speak,_

_I may annoy you,_

_But keep in mind,_

_If you trust me,_

_Help you will find."_

He finished and studied her for a moment, almost awaiting a reaction. Coraline thought about everything.

"Wait," she said, "does this describe the hidden item or another riddle?" The Master smiled mysteriously.

"That," he said, "you will have to find out yourself." He then walked over to The Beldam. After both riddles had been told, The Master stood in the middle of the fielf.

"The first part of the game will begin... NOW!" he announced. The Beldam rushed off somewhere, but Coraline studied her surroundings, thinking over the riddle again and again. The Master had disappeared entirely.

She walking around the new world, taking in all the sights. She saw that the place that had once held the Pink Palace was gone. Instead, there were lots of little rocks, perhaps resembling rumble.

"Well!" Coraline said, touching her button eyes, "There is certainly nothing worth looking at over there!" She headed over to a part of the world she had not seen yet yet.

This part of the world was strange to Coraline. It was made to perhaps look alike to places in other counrties, in Coraline's world anyway. It has some pyramids, a structure resembling the Eiffel Tower, Ancient Moai statues and a clock tower like Big Ben. Coraline whistled. It was so different. She walked around all of them, thinking about the riddle she had been told. _I can speak._ These words bounced back and forth in Coraline's mind. She turned to the Moai statues. Could they be what she was looking for...? She approached them, going through her head what she would say.

"Umm... hello?" she asked. The biggest Moai statue stayed still for a moment before it's mouth moved. Coraline stepped back in shock.

"Why, hello there there, little girl!" The Moai said, "What help can we give you?" Coraline thought about the riddle. _I may be small..._ nope, this Moai wasn't the right own, it was huge! "Girl? What do you want?" The Moai statue asked again, getting impatient.

"Is there any smaller ones of you?" she asked the Big Moai. His face fell.

"Yes." he admitted, "But she is very annoying, she won't be of any help. I'm sure I could, though." The Big Moai said, trying to make himself look big and important.

"Thanks, but I need the smaller one." Coraline repeated politely. The big Moai sighed.

"Very well, she is behind me." he said, looking slightly disappointed. "The other girl wanted my help, she was much nicer..." it mumbled under it's breath. Coraline smiled, so The Beldam had been here to! She must have asked the big Moai for the riddle, and who knows what he told her! She went behind the big Moai and met a smaller version.

"Go away. Go away. I don't want to speak to you, go away." the little Moai said in an annoying high-pitched voice. It had cracks all over it.

_I may be small, I may be weak_...check. _I may annoy you... _yep, this was definitely the right Moai.

"Excuse me," Coraline said in her politest voice, "but do you have a riddle for me?"

"Ohh! You want the widdle! You want the widdle! I have the widdle! Yes, me has the widdle!" it said in a childish voice. Coraline tried to stay calm, but she could feel her temper rising. Was talking to this Maoi going to help her at all?

"_But you will find, If you trust me, Help you will find..." _The Master's voice repeated in her head. Was this the key?

"Hey, you look like a trustworthy Moai!" Coraline said, trying the flattery approach. It seemed to be working, the Maoi looked interested.

"Yessss?" the little Moai said, listening eargerly.

"I'm going to tell you a secret. But you have to keep it!" Coraline said, talking like she would have spoken to her five year old cousin.

"Yes! You can trust me! You can, you can!" the little Moai said, excited. If it wasn't planted firmly on the ground Coraline was sure it would have been jumping up and down.

"Ok... well," Coraline said, searching her brain for a fake secret, "I've met a bird with three eyes!"

"Reeeeeeeeeeally? Wow!" said the Moai in amazement, "You trusted me, now I will trust you! Here is the riddle!

_I am black, I shine,_

_I am perfectly divine,_

_I am hard, I am clear,_

_I am definitely to fear."_

Coraline listened toi the riddle, her mind automatically getting to work. She put her hand in her pocket and pulled out the stone she had found in her bedroom.

It was black, and shiny, and it was definitely divine. It was very hard and the part in the middle was clear.

But was she scared of it? No, not really. Though she could definitely feel a sense of power coming from the stone.

Even thought it seemed like the right answer, she had found the stone before the challenge... did that make her a cheat?

Yes! No... maybe?

Coraline decided it was worth the risk. She had no doubt that the master already knew she had it. She hesitated, unsure how to call him.

"Master!" Coraline said softly, "I think I've found the item." In a split second, The Master appeared in front of her.

"Yes, Coraline?" he asked,

"I have found the hidden item." she repeated, "But the thing is, I had it before I entered this challenge..." Slowly a smile appeared on his face.

"So did The Beldam. You both had it." he informed her, "This item was placed in both of your rooms. As soon as you both had found it the challenge began. It was just to see whether of not you could think outside the box., as well as listen to the riddle. Since The Beldam ignored parts of the first riddle, the second riddle set her off course completely."

"So... I'm right?" Coraline asked, unable to believe it.

"Yes. You have won the first round. Keep hold of that gem," The Master added, "you'll need it for the next round." Coraline put it back in her pocket. "Beldam! Coraline has won the first round!" The Master called, "The second round is about to commence!"

* * *

**Next chapter will be up soon, Thanks for reading!**


	10. The Beldam Cheats

The Beldam wasn't very happy about losing the first round. She pulled out a stone from one of her pockets and looked at it with distaste, and Coraline thought for a second that she would slam it against the ground in anger. But The Master had told her that she too would need it for the next round. He slipped it back into her pocket, a scowl on her face.

"The second round is a test of strength." The Master announced. "You both have the stone, don't you? Good, because now it's time to use them. Coraline, please repeat the last riddle you heard." Coraline took a breath and recited:

_"I am black, I shine,_

_I am perfectly devine,_

_I am hard, I am clear,_

_I am definatley to fear."_

"Yes, that is it!" The Master said, "This stone fits into all of these catogories, except for fear. But you will soon find out what this stone can do, it is actually quite dangerous. It contains more power then anybody can ever have." The Beldam looked down at her stone. Coraline looked at her own. In the centre of it, where it was clear, it sparkled. It felt weird to look at, it seemed to make her eyes lose focus. The Master cleared his throat, asking for their attention. The Beldam looked up, with a smile on her face. Coraline felt uneasy.

"Your task this time is to, using your mind, create things to defeat your opponent. But, they can not be living things. Also, you can not kill your opponent, only trap them. This stone will create the things for you, but it has limited power. You will have five minutes alone to practise creating things. Nobody is at advantage here, this stone works differently to any other magic." Coraline sighed. This was going to be hard.

She was transported to a room by herself. Five minutes to figure out how to use this thing, Coraline thought.

She closed her eyes and thought about a sword as hard . Nothing happened. She held the stone close to her heart and thought about a sword again, but still, nothing happened. She tried everything she could think of, but nothing worked. She put her head in her hands.

"Please, work." she whispered helplessly. Suddenly a sword appeared in front of her. Coraline grinned. She put the stone in two hands again and thought about a shield. "Please," she said, whispering with all her might. It then appeared next to her. "Something bigger..." she said to herself. She thought of the biggest thing she could and yet again whispered 'Please'. A huge elephant appeared in front of her. Coraline laughed brightly and looked at the time. Five seconds until the next challenge started.

* * *

The Beldam appeared in front of Coraline with a nasty grin on her face. Coraline felt uneasy again. The Beldam was definatley up to something.

"The next challenge will start... NOW!" The Master said Coraline created a shield and a sword immediatly, looking at The Beldam and waiting for her attack. But The Beldam's focus wasn't on Coraline. It was on The Master.

The Beldam took her stone and summoned fire. To The Master's shock, it surrounded him. She whispered into her stone again and a hazy glow appeared around the fire. He was trapped. Coraline looked at The Beldam in fright. Without The Master to watch them both, making sure they didn't cheat, The Beldam could do anything. _Anything._ The Beldam looked at Coraline with a twisted grin on her face.

"Now, Coraline, I've had enough of your games." she announced loudly, "I'm not going to give you a choice this time. I will destroy you!" Coraline winced. The Beldam laughed and suddenly two snakes appeared at her sides. They slithered over to Coraline and wrapped themselves around her tightly. Coraline struggled to move, the snakes continued constricting her. She tried to reach for her sword, but it had fallen on the ground, along with her shield. The only item that she had in her hand was her stone.

She closed her eyes and waited for the snakes to strike. She wished that The Beldam would be eaten alive with her, just so they'd both die. She heard a screech and opened her buttoned eyes. To her shock, The Beldam was covered in insects. Coraline smiled, her wish had come true. Maybe she didn't have to say please everytime?

She grasped the stone firmly in her palm and wished for The Master to be set free. It wasn't working. Coraline then realized that the snakes were still wrapped around her, she had to get away before anything else. She wished for birds appear and take the snakes away. Two large ones came and carried the snakes into the distance. Coraline took in the air in her lungs and thought. How could she help The Master?

Coraline imagined the area around her to bucket down with rain. She heard a loud clap of thunder, then the rain poured down. It didn't penatrate The Beldam's force field. Coraline groaned, how could she get rid of it?

She saw the fire getting closer to The Master. He two was trying to put it out, but despite his best efforts it wasn't working. Just as she was thinking of another idea, she was picked out my her hair. She gasped in pain saw that it was The Beldam who picked her up. She was still covered in bugs, and Coraline saw that once of twice she saw her lick them off her face and eat them.

"I have you now you miserable brat!" she screeched.

The pain that Coraline felt in her head caught her off-guard. She screamed and The Beldam laughed in triumph. It felt as if there were a million daggers, piercing her skull Coraline heard none of this. In her head it was buzzing, screaming in agorny. She couldn't feel anything but the awful, head splitting pain.

"Miss!" a distant voice called to her, "Use your stone!" Coraline reconised the voice as the sweet Ghost girl.

"Concentrate, Coraline!" the little boy called to her. Coraline tried. She moved parts of her body until she found her hand with the stone in it. She concentrated her hardest on something, anything that may be of use to her. But her thoughts were clouded. Defeating The Beldam... what could kill something that was never really alive in the first place?

The buttons. She would destroy the buttons. Coraline imagined a fire, hotter than lava in The Beldam's buttoned eyes.

"Please." she whispered with all her strength left. The last thing Coraline heard was The Beldam's loud scream before she passed out.

* * *

**I've left it on a bit of a cliff hanger. After all, you don't really know if Coraline turned into a ghost, if The Beldam got destroyed... all your questions will be answered in the next chapter.**


	11. Parting ways

When Coraline came to, she had no idea where she was. Everything around her was twisted, like her dreams. The sky was in swirls of bright colours like pink, green, purple and some dark blue. It was quite a sight.

She stood up and walked. She didn't know where she was walking exactly, she couldn't see the ground beneath her. But regardless, she kept on walking. As she walked she was aware of other figures around her. Cat, the Ghost children, Martin, The Master... they were all walking with her.

"I'm certainly glad that you figured it out." said Cat proudly, "For a moment I had my doubts, but you came through in the end."

"Figured what out?" Coraline asked him curiously.

"The buttons! The buttons contain all her power!" The Master said, "She took it from that stone and used it however she wished. You destroyed the buttons completely, destroying the power and her."

"Wow." Coraline murmured, "I'm just glad that it's over."

"As am I." The Master said, "Thanks to you. You tried to free me."

"But I failed." Coraline said unhappily.

"It's the thought that counts." The Master said, "Besides, you did free me in the end. When The Beldam died all the things she created with her power were destroyed to. Including your button eyes." Coraline touched her eyelids. Thank goodness they were back, as strange as it would sound to somebody who didn't know the whole story, she had missed them. Then a wave of panic rushed through her.

"If everything was destroyed, then doesn't that mean... the door is also destroyed?" she asked, dreading the answer.

"I'm afraid so." the Ghost children said, "But fear not, there is hope! You still have your stone!" Coraline looked down in her hands and sure enough, the stone she'd forgotten about was still there.

"I can still create things, can't I?" she asked, relief washing over her.

"Of course! You still have a lot of power left in that stone!" Cat said, "You barely used any of it in the fight."

"Thank you, Coraline!" Martin said happily. Coraline only just realised as well that he too no longer had button eyes. He glided over to the rest of the Ghost children and they disappeared into the distance.

"Goodbye." whispered Coraline. The Master looked at her.

"I believe it is time I should be going, too. We may meet again, someday, Coraline." he said seriously.

"Goodbye. And thank you." Coraline said, giving him a little bow." He winked at her before vanishing completely. That just left her and Cat.

"I'm so sorry you had to die, Cat." Coraline said sadly, "I wish I could have done something."

"Something? You've saved so many lives!" Cat said, "I definatly call that something. Don't worry about me, my time was coming to a close anyway. I was no longer the kitten that I once was." he told her wistfully, "I will go on to the next life, there I will meet you again somebody. Hopefully not too soon. Goodbye, Coraline..." Coraline watched him as he looked around before running in the direction the Ghost Children had headed.

Coraline cast one last look at the Other world. She sighed and closed her eyes. "I want to go home, ple-" she whispered, then stopped.

The door in this world was destroyed. That means, nobody in her world could get into this world from that door. She needed a new way to get back to her world... some way that nobody would ever be able to get though ever again.

She thought for a second then smiled as she remembered her favourite movie. She created a little mouse hole, identical to the one she had in her bedroom at home. She then created two other things; an ordinary sized drink labled 'smaller' and a tiny, tiny drink labled taller. She smiled as she remembered watching _Alice in Wonderland_ with her mother the previous week. She drank the on labled smaller and shrank until she was the size of a mouse. She went through the mousehole, holding the drink labled "taller" in her hand.

* * *

The mousehole was similar the the door.

She stumbled in darkness for ages, until she eventually found the exit. She looked back at the Other World.

Part of her wanted to go back, to use the stone to create the world of her dreams. But she knew that if she did that, she would soon become just like The Beldam, bored and thirsty for power. And she would begin needing a source for her energy. She turned back on the Other World determainedly and continued on.

She came out through the mouse hole in her room. She looked herself around in amazement.

Whoa... everything was so different when you were smaller. She looked down and realized that she was still holding the little stone, and that it had shrank when she had. She looked around, wondering what she should do with it. The answer came to her almost immediately.

She walked back the to mouse hole and threw it back in, listening to it bounce along before finally coming to a stop.

Coraline felt a huge weight being lifted from her shoulders after she did it. It was good, not having the temptation around her anymore.

She threw her head back and began drinking the taller drink. She rapidly began growing back to her normal height, and once she had reached it she drank a tiny bit more, just so she'd be a little taller. She smiled and bent down, studying the mouse hole. She rolled the drink though the mouse hole, where it would be reunited with the stone.

Coraline was so happy to be home. She jumped up and collapsed on her bed, sighing with relief. Her mother came into the room and shook her head.

"Coraline! How many times have I told you not to jump on your bed!" she complained before walking off. Coraline smiled.

It was good to be home.

* * *

**Finished! I hope that wasn't too bad of an ending.**


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